Former RCMP Employee Alleging Sexual Assault Tells Court She Has PTSD

Former RCMP Employee Alleging Sexual Assault Tells Court She Has PTSD

Article excerpt

Ex-RCMP employee testifies at sex assault trial

--

VANCOUVER - A former RCMP employee who alleges she was sexually assaulted by a now-retired inspector in a locked washroom at their Vancouver workplace says she's been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The complainant told provincial court Thursday she was diagnosed with PTSD after she left her civilian job with the RCMP.

Tim Shields, who was the public face of the RCMP as the department's spokesman in British Columbia, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual assault.

Court has heard the woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was allegedly sexually assaulted in the fall of 2009.

The woman said she suffers from nightmares, pain in her hips, neck, back and knees, and has difficulty concentrating.

She said she has a tough time putting together "words and sentences" and sometimes needs to "write down words, write down questions. …